Palestinian refugees in Portuguese television journalism: between visibility, narrative and recognition (RTP and SIC, 2023–2025)

Abstract

The escalation of the Israel–Palestine conflict since October 2023, particularly in the Gaza Strip, has intensified the humanitarian crisis and renewed the centrality of media representations of displaced populations. In this context, television journalism plays a significant role in mediating suffering and shaping the conditions under which certain lives become visible and recognisable in the public sphere. This article examines the news frames, narrative structures, sources of information, and degree of humanisation of representation in RTP1 and SIC reports on Palestinian refugees between 2023 and 2025. The study adopts a qualitative interpretative approach, combining critical discourse analysis and narrative analysis, applied to a corpus of 20 reports broadcast during periods of heightened media visibility. The findings reveal the predominance of a humanitarian frame, particularly on RTP1, and narratives centred on the victimisation and survival of civilian populations. The recurring presence of direct testimonies from Palestinian civilians contributes to the individualisation and humanisation of representation, although interpretative authority often remains anchored in institutional sources. The analysis thus demonstrates that mediated recognition does not automatically arise from visibility but depends on the narrative and discursive conditions that structure representation, particularly how voices are positioned, subjects are identified, and experiences are individualised. The study thereby highlights the active role of television journalism in constructing the conditions under which Palestinian refugees become recognised in the public sphere.